Chapter 371: with translation of chapter title

Could it be that the Fan family is really in dire straits?

The same thought flashed through the minds of everyone in the Fan family.

The servant was roughly pulled up, his legs trembling, tears streaming as he said, "She, that woman, said she has evidence and wants to, wants to, sue the Regent Prince for shielding an illegitimate child, sue the Fan family for being Fan Dongping's backing, having instructed the county magistrate to destroy evidence for her, to…… kill…… to silence witnesses."

Fan Regent Prince gritted his teeth, his kindly face twisting into that of a demon whose false skin has been peeled off.

"What evidence? What evidence!"

The servant said, "It seems…… to be something like an account book written by Fan Dongping."

Fan Regent Prince flew into a rage, "Imbecile!"

"What an imbecile! If there had been any other choice, how could I have spared his life!"

Fan Regent Prince paced back and forth in fury, then turned and asked:

"Where did that wretch get the evidence from? Speak!"

The servant's face turned as white as paper, "She took it herself."

"Nan Yi Xian, she said she just returned from Nan Yi Xian this morning."

The prefect asked Lv Jing on the bench how she had obtained the evidence.

Lv Jing answered frankly.

As early as the day after she submitted her petition to the Prefecture of Jingzhao, she had already been watched.

Fortunately, with the help of jianghu friends, she evaded their surveillance and was moved to several different places.

Lv Jing thus survived, but she did not want to keep waiting for the Prefecture of Jingzhao to open court, day after day.

She wanted to take the initiative and obtain the evidence herself.

In Nan Yi Xian, the Fan Dongping household and the county office, the more dangerous the place, the safer it was at this time.

The Fan family and the assassins they sent could never have imagined that the person they had been searching the whole city for yesterday had already obtained the evidence from Nan Yi Xian and was now on the way back to the capital.

Fan Regent Prince lifted his head and snorted coldly, "Hahaha…… quite the saying that the more dangerous, the safer."

"I have spent half my life playing schemes of the heart, yet I was played by a yellow-haired girl!"

The servant collapsed, exhausted, onto the ground.

Everyone's face looked grim.

Someone said, "Uncle, please calm down! How could a country girl have such scheming? Surely someone is helping her."

"Regent Prince! He has always been at odds with our family, and this time he is the one who arrested Fan Dongping!"

Fan Regent Prince sat down slowly, seemingly to reassure the whole family, yet also to comfort himself, murmuring, "Don't panic, nobody panic."

"It's not yet the worst situation."

"I have never directly instructed the county magistrate to do anything; he cannot produce any evidence."

"Thus it is his own groundless speculation about my intentions, acting on his own accord, colluding with Fan Dongping to oppress the populace; I, far away in the capital, how could I know of these things?"

"Even if the Prefecture of Jingzhao gives a verdict today, at most I am guilty of failing to educate my son, doting on him, and neglecting my duties."

"I will immediately enter the palace to plead guilty; the Majesty will, in consideration of the Fan family's merit in assisting the founding emperor, likely deal with me leniently."

Fan Regent Prince said this, and his heart felt somewhat more at ease.

The others looked at each other, some sighing in relief, others showing smug smiles.

A regent prince is a regent prince.

As long as he is here, the Fan family will not fall.

Even if the Regent Prince has always eyed the Fan family with a tiger's gaze, what could the outcome be?

In the end, two heads must be offered to silence the endless gossip of the world.

The county magistrate, and that illegitimate child who is not of the Fan bloodline at all—just kill them.

Outside the Prefecture of Jingzhao.

An Qinghe was endlessly curious, "Does Miss Lv still know any jianghu friends?"

"We were so worried about her, yet she kept it hidden and didn't reveal a thing—really a bit unkind."

"But…… it is still understandable."

Gu Xixi watched the movements inside the hall and said, "Actually, the friend she mentioned is someone you also know."

"Or rather, an old friend we share."

An Qinghe felt his brain wasn't up to it, "Ah? I can't think of who it is."

He Jinglan glanced at Gu Xixi and had to say the answer herself, "Meng Chengping."

"Meng Chengping, he serves as a junior officer in the Golden Wu Guard."

An Qinghe slapped his forehead, "I knew he didn't return to Xi Bei, yet he actually stayed in the capital?"

He said unhappily, "Then he's also not being forthcoming! Knowing we've come to the capital, he still hasn't shown up—could he be afraid I'll ask him to treat me to a meal?"

He Jinglan chuckled, "Lately, besides his duty in the palace, he has to take turns protecting Miss Lv with the few jianghu friends he knows—how could he find the time to eat and drink with us?"

"Moreover, this time, Miss Lv's trip to Nan Yi Xian to gather evidence was also arranged by him in terms of route and personnel."

"If he had openly associated with us earlier, there's no guarantee that keen observers wouldn't notice, causing complications."

"Therefore, before the case is concluded, it's best for him to keep a low profile."

An Qinghe suddenly realized, "This kid, quietly doing big things!"

Gu Xixi caught sight of him still smiling and asked, "We kept it from you—aren't you angry?"

An Qinghe shook his head, "I understand! For Miss Lv's safety, the fewer people who know, the better,"

"First, you two have known General Meng longer than I have, so you're more familiar—naturally you should take the lead."

"Second," he said, grinning broadly, his smile bright as sunshine.

"How could you two possibly be deliberately keeping it from me? Not saying anything for now just means the time to come clean hasn't arrived yet."

He Jinglan broke into a cold sweat; this person really could just cheer themselves up.

Although everything he said was correct.

The atmosphere in the court hall was solemn.

The evidence presented by Lv Jing, plus the confession issued by the Regent Prince's office.

Also there was a blood-written petition signed by a thousand victims and surviving relatives.

County Magistrate Chen and the county office personnel could no longer deny.

They could only confess in detail everything they had done together with Fan Dongping.

Including the death of Lv Jing's parents.

It was Fan Dongping who intended to seize the Lu family's tea plantation and beat Lv Jing's father to death.

Moreover, he wanted to add guilt, fabricating a charge of tea poisoning to silence Lv Jing's mother in prison.

Because County Magistrate Chen had been an imperial appointed official, he needed to be transferred from the Prefecture of Jingzhao to the Ministry of Punishment to continue investigating whether he had any other crimes during his tenure.

The remaining accomplices in the county office, according to the Great Enterprise Law, were given severe punishments, ranging from exile to flogging.

As for Fan Dongping, all accomplices have confessed cleanly; whether he speaks or not is no longer important.

The prefectural magistrate took a deep breath, and the verdict rang out: "Fan Dongping of Nan Yi Xian, abducting civilians, trafficking good families, seeking wealth and harming lives, directly or indirectly causing the deaths of thirty-two people, the evidence is solid, his crimes are heinous."

"Sentence! Immediate beheading!"

"All properties and goods seized by force and fraud, after verification, shall be returned to their original owners."

Fan Dongping forced his head up, lips trembling, staring in disbelief.

"No! You can't kill me! My father is the most powerful Fan Grand Secretary!"

"He holds power over the world; you officials, when you see him, all have to bow and scrape; dare you kill me?"

"My father will definitely, definitely come to save me!"

Lv Jing looked at these criminals, seeming both sad and happy, feeling hatred and pain.

The wrongful grievances have been cleared; revenge has been taken, hatred melted.

But her parents can never come back.

Being able to witness evil meet its retribution, the onlooking common folk also rose in jubilation.

An Qinghe grinned, but upon lowering his head he noticed Gu Xixi didn't seem so happy.

"Xixi, you seem to have something on your mind?"

"Miss Lu has finally had her great vengeance fulfilled; we ought to be happy for her."

Gu Xixi said, "This case isn't over yet."

"Fan Dongping perhaps won't die for the time being; at least... not today."